California Costco Pharmacy Mis-Fills One Patient’s Prescription Twice in One Year

Earlier this month, a man and his mother spoke with reporters about their experience having prescriptions filled at their local Costco pharmacy. According to the report, Costco incorrectly filled the man’s mother’s prescription not once but twice over a one-year period.

Evidently, back in September the woman noticed that the pills she was provided by the pharmacist were larger than they normally were. She had her son call the pharmacist, who told him that they were indeed the wrong pill. In fact, the pill she was provided, had she taken it, would have resulted in her taking a double dose of the prescribed medication. The pharmacist instructed the woman to cut the pills in half and then take the proper dose.

Just three months later, the woman noticed that, again, the pills she was provided by the pharmacy were the incorrect size. This time, they were too small. Again, she called the pharmacist, who asked her to bring the pills in. After double-checking them, he confirmed that they were indeed the wrong pill and apologized to the woman before refilling her prescription with the proper pills.

The woman and her son told reporters that they plan on filing a complaint with the California State Board of Pharmacy and will take their business elsewhere in the future.

Prescription Errors in Local Pharmacies

Thankfully, the woman above was not injured or made ill by the mis-filled prescription. However, that is not always the case. Last year alone, tens of thousands of people were seriously injured by pharmacy errors. On top of that, hundreds of people died as a result of their pharmacists’ errors.

Preventing a Serious Incident

While there is little a patient can do to prevent a prescription from being incorrectly filled, there are steps patients can take to ensure that they are not harmed by such mistakes.

First, be sure to double-check all prescription labels to make sure that the medication on the label is what you were prescribed. If the label lists an unfamiliar drug name, contact your pharmacist immediately.

Second, double-check that the physical description on the label of the bottle matches the pills themselves. According to federal law, prescription labels must contain a description of the pill contained therein. By double-checking to make sure that the right pill is in the bottle, patients decrease the risk of ingesting unprescribed medication.

Finally, if it is your first time getting a prescription filled, ask to speak with the pharmacist prior to leaving the pharmacy. This will give him or her an additional opportunity to catch any error that may have been made as well as provide you with useful knowledge about the medication you have been prescribed to take.

Have You Been Provided the Wrong Medication?

If you have recently been provided the wrong medication by your pharmacy, and were made ill as a result, you may be entitled to monetary compensation to help cover any medical expenses you incurred. You may also be entitled to recover compensation for your pain and suffering. To learn more, contact a dedicated Maryland pharmacy error attorney to set up a free consultation. Call 410-654-3600 today to speak with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney about your potential case.

Disclaimer: While all of the cases identified in the Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC website under Our Successes are cases that Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC has handled for its clients, Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC does not represent any of the clients in cases mentioned in our blog. Our law firm is reporting on current events that will likely be of interest to our readers. The content provided is not intended as legal advice.

Our past results are not a guarantee of future results, and they should not be used to predict an outcome in any future case or matter. The merits of each case must be determined based upon the facts and the applicable law of each particular case. Lebowitz & Mzhen, LLC is a law firm with lawyers licensed to practice law in the State of Maryland, and a lawyer licensed to practice law in Washington, D.C.